Rabbit Peak

12-Mar-66

By: Ken McNutt

Sat morn found 24 Desert Peakers collected at the entrance to the Borrego Airport debating the merit of climbing Rabbit from the Clark Lake side. The optimists won, therefore off we caravaned across the dry lake to the road end, about a mile from Clark Dry Well. As the clock reached 8AM we began the back pack due north toward the first large ridge on the north side of the huge alluvial fan that flows SW from Rabbit Peak. With the rising sun beaming down on our rugged column we soon realized that we were in for high temperatures. Before we reached the first plateau of the low ridge several of the group were in considerable discomfort. Progress became so slow that we made a very early camp in the shade of the last large boulders of the low ridge. We were about 7 miles from the planned campsite but it was most obvious that half the Group were not up to attempting the summit climb on the following day.

Therefore, after a caucus and general agreement, it was decided that the leader Tom MacNicholas would take those who felt up to the summit attempt, and that Ken McNutt would bring the remainder out to civilization.

At 4 AM the summit party of 10 climbers threshed their way thru cholla and yucca, toward the Emblem Peak, At 9AM the remains started a slow back pack out to the cars. After many stops and Gallons of water passed, the slow group reached the cars. Not long thereafter, with no stops and no water, the victorious summit group arrived and we all went into Borrego Springs for complete hydration with cold drinks.